SCHOOL CHILDREN MUST STOP FALLING ON THEIR FEET - MANGALA

When receiving awards from elders, politicians

If the country to be blessed with a generation with creativity and new thinking, Students must stop the habit of falling at the feet and worshiping when they greet an elder or receiving an award or certificate, Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said.

He added that he would never consider this habit of children as an offence because it was the culture of Sri Lanka and it was how our youth had been taught.

Addressing the International Conference on RTI (Right to Information) at the Nelum Pokuna Performing Arts Theatre, Minister Samaraweera went on to say that the time was right to distance ourselves from the culture of falling at the feet of someone as an act of respect.

“The schoolchildren who receive their gifts and certificates at this function stooped down on their feet and worshiped the adults who gave

I believe that the children must not bend their spine, kneel down or worship someone every time when they receive such awards

them. I believe that the children must not bend their spine, kneel down or worship someone every time when they receive such awards. Shaking hands, bowing down or greeting with clasped hands are more than enough.

Worshiping is okay. But children must learn whom they are worshiping. They must necessarily worship their parents, elder brothers and sisters and Gautama Buddha, Jesus Christ, Hindu Gods and Allah. We need to create a nation with people who do not bend their back all the time. A nation that needs people with a strong backbone,” Minister Samaraweera emphasized.

He said the children must never worship politicians because they don’t know whether the politician deserves such honour. Shaking hands or saying ‘Ayubowan’ is enough to receive a politician at public functions. This does not mean people must ignore or drive away the politicians. But no one knows whether the politician was a drug peddler or Kassippu trader. Therefore, we should never encourage students to worship him, he noted.